The University daily. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 18??-????, 1887-06-08
THE SUEZ CANAL.
How frame Along the Great
Ditch is Controlled.
The Movements Of the Vessels Directed
From an Office Near Suez.

"a writer ii the London Saturday Re-
view describes how the traffic along the
snez Canal Is directed and controlled
from the Office at Terreplein, near Suez.
The number Of ships ID The canal At The
same time IS sometimes very great. On
the 18th Of December last, tor example
fifteen steamers cleared the canal, of
which seven were outward bound. on
the previous day nine ships cleared, and
On the following day seven, 50 that dur
ING the Sth some thirty ships were prob
ably at one time il the canal Some
times there are as many as forty, and all
are completely under the control of the
French gentleman sitting at bis desk il
an upper chamber at Terrsplein. The
method Of working IS exceedingly
simple. Against the wall at one
side of the room is q
narrow shelf o. platform, along which
runs groove. At intervals this trough
or groove has deep recesses, and Vt two
places these recesses are Of larger size.
This trough o. groove represents the ca
nal. The recesses are the sidings. The
larger intervals are the Great Bitter Lake
and Lake Timsoh. When ayesseI has
been signaled and IS about to enter the
canal at, say, the Suez end, i small toy
boat or model, three or four inches long,
is chosen to represent her, "a group Of
these model ships stands ready beside
the model canal, each furnished with a
flag. About forty have the English flag
ten or dozen the French flag, and SO on
with other nationalities. As the steamer
comes up and her name is known it is
written on paper and placed On the toy.
boat. The whole number Of ships thus
actually in the canal at any moment can
be seen at glance; and, AZ the tele-
graphic signals give notice, the toy
boats are moved along, Or placed in q
siding, or shown trayersing one Of the
lakes at full speed. Signals are sent
from the Office to the various t.gares''
prescribing the siding at which each
ship must stop to let another meet
and pass it. The official who is on duty
keeps the models moving as he receives
notice, taking care when perhaps two
ships going in opposite directions are
both nearing the same siding to give
timely warning to the pilots il charge by
means Of the signal balls and flags at
station under his control from the office,
and to direct which Of the two is to lie
up and which to proceed. Barring acct
dents, the whole arrangement goes like
clockwork; the clerk can read off in a
moment the name, tonnage, nationality,
draft, and actual situation of every
steamer; he can tell what pilot she has
on board, what is her breadth of beam,
what rate she is moving at, and every
thing else which has to be known about
her; and he is able without an effort to
govern all her movements, to prescribe
the place where she is to pass the night,
and the hour which she is to get under
way il the morning, although he does
notsee her, and probably never saw her IA
his life. The fees which vessels pay for
passing through the canal are often
enormous. Some Of the large liners q
the P. 8 @. Or the Orient service pay Is
much as e1sOO il making : single ram
sit. For every passenger half napo-
leon, o. eight shilling four pence, IS
charged. Three fonrtbs of the ships
that 90 through the canal ara Enolish.